Coaches Give St. Maries Edge But Don’t Count Out Lakeland, Bf Or Moscow
More than the cursory elements must be considered this fall when trying to sort out the contenders from the pretenders in the battle for the Intermountain League football championship.
Sure returning starters is one of the more important categories to consider. Strengths and weaknesses are a couple of others.
And even history can provide some clues.
But in a year that could be as tight as ever in the chase for the league’s two state playoff berths, it’d be wise to consult your league schedule.
Before we do that, however, please welcome our contestants: defending champion Lakeland, runner-up Bonners Ferry, Moscow and St. Maries.
Lakeland, which returns the fewest starters, and St. Maries, which returns the most starters, appear to have the best schedules of the foursome.
The Hawks of Rathdrum have home dates with Bonners Ferry, which hasn’t defeated a Lakeland team since 1982, and Moscow, which visit the Hawks in a regular-season finale.
St. Maries’ two key home games involve Lakeland and Bonners Ferry. Sandwiched in-between is a road game at Moscow.
And perhaps the clinching element about the schedules is this interesting tidbit: The two years St. Maries has won league titles in the past 10 years the Lumberjacks scored home victories over Lakeland.
If the schedule doesn’t provide all the answers, let’s turn to the experts - the coaches.
The majority opinion among the coaches is St. Maries has the inside track to a league championship.
“Overall it’s going to be a tougher league this year,” Lakeland coach Terry Kiefer said. “We know St. Maries has a lot of kids back and listening to them they feel like they’re the team to beat.
“When you graduate as many kids as we did I don’t see how we could be picked to win it all,” Kiefer added. “By saying that we’re not conceding anything either. It’s just going to be an interesting league.”
Bonners Ferry coach Tom Wofford said with a chuckle when it was suggested Lakeland, with a large influx of new players, must find an identity.
“They’ve got the right name already, the ‘Lakeland Hawks’. They’ve got a proud tradition and arguably the best program in North Idaho in the last decade.”
St. Maries coach Curt Carr stopped just short of predicting a league title.
“We’re planning on having a very, very successful season,” Carr said.
Moscow coach Eric Bjorkman doesn’t concern himself with the prospects of the other teams. He just knows he’s got the makings of an outstanding team - if not immediately then in the not-so-distant future.
“We’re excited about this team,” the usually stoic Bjorkman said. “We’re going to be a very good team some time. I don’t know if it’ll happen in the first game, middle of the season, end of the season or next year.”
What about Bonners Ferry, coach Wofford? “We’re going to be good.”
Kiefer agrees. “Bonners Ferry has got a lot of kids back; they’re going to be a clone of last year’s team and that team was a super tough team.”
Just which two teams will separate themselves from the other two still isn’t clear after visiting the coaches.
In fact, a league title probably won’t be decided until the final Friday, a night that features Moscow at Lakeland and Bonners Ferry at St. Maries.
But fans won’t have to wait for the final week to see some competitive games. Lakeland, Moscow and Bonners Ferry draw tough opponents on the road in season-opening games Friday.
In the annual Battle of the Prairie, Lakeland visits Post Falls, Moscow treks to Lewiston and Bonners Ferry travels to Sandpoint.
The IML’s other three teams St. Maries, Kellogg and Priest River - return to action after opening their seasons last week.
St. Maries (1-0) entertains Lake City, Kellogg (0-1) visits cross-Silver Valley rival Wallace (1-0) and Priest River (1-0) goes to Timberline.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Intermountain In predicted order of finish: 1. Lakeland Hawks 1994 record: 5-0 IML champ, 8-2 overall Coach: Terry Kiefer Years coaching: 17 Coach’s record: 110-50-1 Top returners: Joe Brown, 6-4, 255, sr., ot/dt; Al Bevacqua, 5-10, 170, sr., qb; Kevin Bridge, 5-11, 160, sr., db/wr; David Cannon, 5-7, 220, sr., dt; Anthony Zito, 6-1, 210, sr., og/de. Key newcomers: Randy Foote, 5-8, 165, jr., rb; Jon Bauck, 5-11, 185, sr., rb; Jeff Clark, 6-0, 215, sr., center/dt; Darren Zychek, 6-0, 200, sr., offensive guard/de; Brandon Chaney, 6-1, 215, sr., de/ol; Eric Conklin, 6-2, 200, sr., og/dl; Cameron Napora, 6-2, 215, sr., lb/rb; Preston Rutherford, 6-1. 215, sr., ot/dt; Jeremiah Lyon, 6-2, 310, sr., lineman. Quick kicks: This is the first time in more than a decade that the Hawks don’t return at least one proven running back. Though untested at the varsity level, Foote and Bauck will quickly become familiar names to league opponents. Coach’s comment: “My only concern is me. When we have as many kids as we have that don’t have much previous varsity playing time there’s so many things that you can take for granted that the kids know. I’m afraid I’m going to overlook something.” Outlook: Yes, Lakeland has a number of new faces. Yes, Lakeland graduated a number of talented players. But at tradition-rich Lakeland, Kiefer reloads, not rebuilds. The Hawks learn Kiefer’s system at the lower levels, which means Kiefer and his staff spend less time teaching and more time polishing rough edges during the preseason. Lakeland is still the league champion until knocked off.
2. St. Maries Lumberjacks 1994 record: 2-3, 3-6 Coach: Curt Carr Years coaching: 10 Coach’s record: 55-41 Top returners: Jason Holdahl, 6-1, 180, sr., qb; Jeff Sindt, 5-7, 150, sr., db/wr; Jason Hall, 5-11, 220, sr., rb/lb; Lane Watkins, 6-2, 190, jr., rb/db; Jim Turner, 6-0, 215, sr., center/de; Derik Rimel, 6-1, 210, sr., og/dt; Steve Raebel, 6-3, 225, sr., ot/lb; Nate Bornitz, 6-0, 210, sr., og/ de. Key newcomers: John Dawson, 6-3, 190, sr., ot/de; Sam Robins, 5-10, 180, sophomore, dt; D.J. Eberlin, 6-0, 175, soph., db/wr. Quick kicks: Carr has a team like this come around seemingly every five years, so that’s why there’s a skip to his step. Let’s see, the Lumberjacks were league champs in 1985, 1991 … and 1995? Coach’s comment: “This team potentially is a lot like 1991. I feel I have a very, very good team.” Outlook: The Lumberjacks return practically every key player and shored up themselves with a pair of transfers, Dawson and Robins. Historically slow out of the gate, St. Maries ran all over Grangeville 27-7 in a season opener Saturday. If the Lumberjacks can avoid the key injuries that have plagued them in recent years, they could play well into November.
3. Moscow Bears 1994 record: 3-2, 5-4 Coach: Eric Bjorkman Years coaching: 23 Coach’s record: 163-74-1 Top returners: Zeke Johnson, 6-3, 185, sr., wr/db; Nate Meyer, 6-0, 205, sr., og/ de; Brad Stinebaugh, 5-11, 195, sr., rb/wr/ db; Brian Cook, 6-1, 210, sr., de; Ed Driscoll, 5-10, 170, sr., db. Key newcomers: Jason Keep, 6-10, 270, jr., ot/dt; Drew Owens, 6-6, 260, jr., ot/dt; Will Glascock, 5-8, 170, sr., wr/db; Travis Pool, 6-1, 185, jr., wr/cb; Adam Miller, 5-10, 175, jr., qb; Josh Yarno, 6-5, 175, soph., qb; Russ Cosgrove, 6-1, 190, soph., rb; Scott Benson, 5-6, 170, soph., rb; Mike Walker, 6-1, 170, sr., db. Quick kicks: Talk about a big team. Make that HUGE. Bjorkman will start behemoths Keep and Owens, and if they mature there may not be a team in the league that can stop Moscow’s running attack or be able to run effectively at the Bears. Coach’s comment: “We have as much depth at running back as we’ve ever had. We have a lot of good athletes in the program, but most of them are underclassmen, so it’s hard to gauge what kind of team we’ll be.” Outlook: Bjorkman hasn’t settled on a quarterback, but he would be in good hands with either Miller or Yarno. Air Bear will also have a ground element to it this season and that could make Moscow difficult to defend. If everything comes together, Moscow could leap-frog past St. Maries and Lakeland. If not, Moscow and Bonners Ferry will battle for pride and third place.
4. Bonners Ferry Badgers 1994 record: 4-1, 7-3 Coach: Tom Wofford Years coaching: 9 Coach’s record: 51-33-1 Top returners: Kevin Carey, 6-2, 270, sr., ot/dt; Jeff Hunsaker, 5-11, 245, sr., ot/ dt; Shon Hiatt, 5-10, 185, sr., og; Casey Johnson, 5-10, 180, sr., og; Nick Cooley, 5-10, 185, sr., rb/lb; Matt Myers, 5-10, 200, sr., rb/lb; Harry Busicchia, 5-9, 245, sr., rb/lb. Key newcomers: Justin Pluid, 6-2, 190, sr., rb/te/de; Rhett Winey, 5-10, 180, jr., te/lb; Todd Van Gundy, 6-1, 175, jr., qb; Brian Meeker, 6-2, 170, jr., wr; Rob Shelman, 5-10, 150, sr., wr; Kyle Watts, 5-11, 270, sr., dt. Quick kicks: Wofford must break in a new quarterback, but that’s nothing new and it’s certainly not a problem. With a stable of quality running backs, Wofford’s QBs are first schooled in handoffs. That passing stuff comes later. Coach’s comment: “We’re trying to find an identity. They don’t think they’re as good athletes as last year’s team. But they were a good supporting cast. I feel good about them.” Outlook: Don’t be offended, Badgers, at where you’ve been picked to finish. Bonners Ferry is a legitimate playoff contender, BUT the Badgers must play two of the three other contenders (Lakeland and St. Maries) on the road. A win by the Badgers in their league opener at home against Moscow means no worse than third. And a little good fortune on the road and the Badgers could be talking postseason.
5. Kellogg Wildcats 1994 record: 0-5, 0-8 Coach: Shawn Amos Years coaching: First as head coach Coach’s record: None Top returners: Casey Fisher, 6-7, 205, te/de/kicker; Todd Henrikson, 6-2, 200, sr., og/lb; Jeremie Figueroa, 5-8, 140, sr., wr/lb; Tyrel Hendrix, 6-0, 205, jr., ot/dt; Pat Slusher, 5-8, 165, jr., wr/db. Key newcomers: Jeremiah Castro, 6-2, 195, sr., ot/dt; Josh Carver, 6-1, 170, sr., center/lb; Josh Easley, 5-9, 145, jr., rb/db; Mike Little, 6-1, 205, jr., qb; Jeremy Behm, 6-1, 190, sr., lb/qb. Quick kicks: The good news here is numbers are up and players are excited about their new coach, but the bottom line doesn’t lie. The Wildcats have much further to go before they close the gap on the upper division teams. Coach’s comment: “Our goal is to get the players to play hard for four quarters. If we do that we can handle the results.” Outlook: The Wildcats slipped to the bottom of the league last year and a move into fifth place wouldn’t be considered marked improvement. But at least two IML coaches will caution their teams not to take Kellogg for granted. Wildcat boosters should be patient. Ultimately Amos, a standout player at Moscow, will right the program.
6. Priest River Spartans 1994 record: 1-4, 2-7 Coach: Norm Stark Years coaching: 3 Coach’s record: 4-14 Top returners: Adam Lamb, 5-10, 200, sr., rb/lb; Ron Rickett, 5-11, 200, sr., rb/ de; Jeremy Walters, 6-3, 190, sr., lb/wr; Chris Larson, 6-0, 230, sr., center/dt. Key newcomers: Jeff Griesemer, 6-3, 185, soph., qb/db; Josh Queen, 6-1, 225, soph., ot/dt; Dave Kingery, 6-0, 185, sr., og/de. Quick kicks: The Spartans have more talented players than they’ve had in the past, but few bodies. Stark has 23 players on varsity. Coach’s comment: “We could be better than last year, but we’re not ready to turn the corner. We’ve got some good kids.” Outlook: Same old story here. The Spartans did open the season on a good note Saturday, defeating Orofino 20-6. Stark sees his team able to stay with league foes for a half, but not much more than that. Which will make for a long league season.
Players to watch 1. Joe Brown, 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, senior, offensive tackle/ defensive tackle, Lakeland. Small linebackers and defensive backs would be advised not to take this Hawk on head on. Though he’ll likely spend more time on offense, look for him to see spot duty in critical situations defensively. 2. Jason Hall, 5-11, 220, senior, running back/linebacker, St. Maries. The top returning rusher in the league, Hall should gain 1,000 yards in the Lumberjacks’ in-your-face rushing attack. He’ll also have an all-league season at linebacker as he makes a serious run for the league’s player-of-the-year honor. 3. Zeke Johnson, 6-3, 185, senior, wide receiver/defensive back, Moscow. As good a receiver as the Bears have had in quite some time. 4. Kevin Carey, 6-2, 270, sr., offensive tackle/defensive tackle, Bonners Ferry. A first-team all-league selection last year, Carey will be in the center of things on both sides of the line of scrimmage this fall. 5. Jason Holdahl, 6-1, 180, senior, quarterback, St. Maries. Holdahl passed for a league-leading 1,405 yards last season, and the third-year starter is poised to lead all QBs this fall.
2. St. Maries Lumberjacks 1994 record: 2-3, 3-6 Coach: Curt Carr Years coaching: 10 Coach’s record: 55-41 Top returners: Jason Holdahl, 6-1, 180, sr., qb; Jeff Sindt, 5-7, 150, sr., db/wr; Jason Hall, 5-11, 220, sr., rb/lb; Lane Watkins, 6-2, 190, jr., rb/db; Jim Turner, 6-0, 215, sr., center/de; Derik Rimel, 6-1, 210, sr., og/dt; Steve Raebel, 6-3, 225, sr., ot/lb; Nate Bornitz, 6-0, 210, sr., og/ de. Key newcomers: John Dawson, 6-3, 190, sr., ot/de; Sam Robins, 5-10, 180, sophomore, dt; D.J. Eberlin, 6-0, 175, soph., db/wr. Quick kicks: Carr has a team like this come around seemingly every five years, so that’s why there’s a skip to his step. Let’s see, the Lumberjacks were league champs in 1985, 1991 … and 1995? Coach’s comment: “This team potentially is a lot like 1991. I feel I have a very, very good team.” Outlook: The Lumberjacks return practically every key player and shored up themselves with a pair of transfers, Dawson and Robins. Historically slow out of the gate, St. Maries ran all over Grangeville 27-7 in a season opener Saturday. If the Lumberjacks can avoid the key injuries that have plagued them in recent years, they could play well into November.
3. Moscow Bears 1994 record: 3-2, 5-4 Coach: Eric Bjorkman Years coaching: 23 Coach’s record: 163-74-1 Top returners: Zeke Johnson, 6-3, 185, sr., wr/db; Nate Meyer, 6-0, 205, sr., og/ de; Brad Stinebaugh, 5-11, 195, sr., rb/wr/ db; Brian Cook, 6-1, 210, sr., de; Ed Driscoll, 5-10, 170, sr., db. Key newcomers: Jason Keep, 6-10, 270, jr., ot/dt; Drew Owens, 6-6, 260, jr., ot/dt; Will Glascock, 5-8, 170, sr., wr/db; Travis Pool, 6-1, 185, jr., wr/cb; Adam Miller, 5-10, 175, jr., qb; Josh Yarno, 6-5, 175, soph., qb; Russ Cosgrove, 6-1, 190, soph., rb; Scott Benson, 5-6, 170, soph., rb; Mike Walker, 6-1, 170, sr., db. Quick kicks: Talk about a big team. Make that HUGE. Bjorkman will start behemoths Keep and Owens, and if they mature there may not be a team in the league that can stop Moscow’s running attack or be able to run effectively at the Bears. Coach’s comment: “We have as much depth at running back as we’ve ever had. We have a lot of good athletes in the program, but most of them are underclassmen, so it’s hard to gauge what kind of team we’ll be.” Outlook: Bjorkman hasn’t settled on a quarterback, but he would be in good hands with either Miller or Yarno. Air Bear will also have a ground element to it this season and that could make Moscow difficult to defend. If everything comes together, Moscow could leap-frog past St. Maries and Lakeland. If not, Moscow and Bonners Ferry will battle for pride and third place.
4. Bonners Ferry Badgers 1994 record: 4-1, 7-3 Coach: Tom Wofford Years coaching: 9 Coach’s record: 51-33-1 Top returners: Kevin Carey, 6-2, 270, sr., ot/dt; Jeff Hunsaker, 5-11, 245, sr., ot/ dt; Shon Hiatt, 5-10, 185, sr., og; Casey Johnson, 5-10, 180, sr., og; Nick Cooley, 5-10, 185, sr., rb/lb; Matt Myers, 5-10, 200, sr., rb/lb; Harry Busicchia, 5-9, 245, sr., rb/lb. Key newcomers: Justin Pluid, 6-2, 190, sr., rb/te/de; Rhett Winey, 5-10, 180, jr., te/lb; Todd Van Gundy, 6-1, 175, jr., qb; Brian Meeker, 6-2, 170, jr., wr; Rob Shelman, 5-10, 150, sr., wr; Kyle Watts, 5-11, 270, sr., dt. Quick kicks: Wofford must break in a new quarterback, but that’s nothing new and it’s certainly not a problem. With a stable of quality running backs, Wofford’s QBs are first schooled in handoffs. That passing stuff comes later. Coach’s comment: “We’re trying to find an identity. They don’t think they’re as good athletes as last year’s team. But they were a good supporting cast. I feel good about them.” Outlook: Don’t be offended, Badgers, at where you’ve been picked to finish. Bonners Ferry is a legitimate playoff contender, BUT the Badgers must play two of the three other contenders (Lakeland and St. Maries) on the road. A win by the Badgers in their league opener at home against Moscow means no worse than third. And a little good fortune on the road and the Badgers could be talking postseason.
5. Kellogg Wildcats 1994 record: 0-5, 0-8 Coach: Shawn Amos Years coaching: First as head coach Coach’s record: None Top returners: Casey Fisher, 6-7, 205, te/de/kicker; Todd Henrikson, 6-2, 200, sr., og/lb; Jeremie Figueroa, 5-8, 140, sr., wr/lb; Tyrel Hendrix, 6-0, 205, jr., ot/dt; Pat Slusher, 5-8, 165, jr., wr/db. Key newcomers: Jeremiah Castro, 6-2, 195, sr., ot/dt; Josh Carver, 6-1, 170, sr., center/lb; Josh Easley, 5-9, 145, jr., rb/db; Mike Little, 6-1, 205, jr., qb; Jeremy Behm, 6-1, 190, sr., lb/qb. Quick kicks: The good news here is numbers are up and players are excited about their new coach, but the bottom line doesn’t lie. The Wildcats have much further to go before they close the gap on the upper division teams. Coach’s comment: “Our goal is to get the players to play hard for four quarters. If we do that we can handle the results.” Outlook: The Wildcats slipped to the bottom of the league last year and a move into fifth place wouldn’t be considered marked improvement. But at least two IML coaches will caution their teams not to take Kellogg for granted. Wildcat boosters should be patient. Ultimately Amos, a standout player at Moscow, will right the program.
6. Priest River Spartans 1994 record: 1-4, 2-7 Coach: Norm Stark Years coaching: 3 Coach’s record: 4-14 Top returners: Adam Lamb, 5-10, 200, sr., rb/lb; Ron Rickett, 5-11, 200, sr., rb/ de; Jeremy Walters, 6-3, 190, sr., lb/wr; Chris Larson, 6-0, 230, sr., center/dt. Key newcomers: Jeff Griesemer, 6-3, 185, soph., qb/db; Josh Queen, 6-1, 225, soph., ot/dt; Dave Kingery, 6-0, 185, sr., og/de. Quick kicks: The Spartans have more talented players than they’ve had in the past, but few bodies. Stark has 23 players on varsity. Coach’s comment: “We could be better than last year, but we’re not ready to turn the corner. We’ve got some good kids.” Outlook: Same old story here. The Spartans did open the season on a good note Saturday, defeating Orofino 20-6. Stark sees his team able to stay with league foes for a half, but not much more than that. Which will make for a long league season.
Players to watch 1. Joe Brown, 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, senior, offensive tackle/ defensive tackle, Lakeland. Small linebackers and defensive backs would be advised not to take this Hawk on head on. Though he’ll likely spend more time on offense, look for him to see spot duty in critical situations defensively. 2. Jason Hall, 5-11, 220, senior, running back/linebacker, St. Maries. The top returning rusher in the league, Hall should gain 1,000 yards in the Lumberjacks’ in-your-face rushing attack. He’ll also have an all-league season at linebacker as he makes a serious run for the league’s player-of-the-year honor. 3. Zeke Johnson, 6-3, 185, senior, wide receiver/defensive back, Moscow. As good a receiver as the Bears have had in quite some time. 4. Kevin Carey, 6-2, 270, sr., offensive tackle/defensive tackle, Bonners Ferry. A first-team all-league selection last year, Carey will be in the center of things on both sides of the line of scrimmage this fall. 5. Jason Holdahl, 6-1, 180, senior, quarterback, St. Maries. Holdahl passed for a league-leading 1,405 yards last season, and the third-year starter is poised to lead all QBs this fall.